Shuttlers upset over sponsorship agreement money

JAKARTA (JP): Several shuttlers expressed their disappointment on Friday over their share of a sponsorship deal, which they said broke a verbal agreement made with Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) late last year.

The shuttlers, who requested anonymity, complained about the amount of money paid them from the deal, which they said violated the agreement they reached with the association. They said men's doubles shuttlers would receive the largest share, followed by the men's singles and mixed doubles, and then the women's singles and women's doubles.

"How can the top mixed doubles pair, who won silver medals at the Olympics last year, only receive Rp 40 millions (US$4,000) each while the country's top women's doubles pair, who have won nothing for two years, will get Rp 30 million. It is not fair," one of the shuttlers said.

"The shuttlers held discussions with PBSI officials late last year and we submitted our proposal on the distribution of the money. Apparently three months after the discussion, they did nothing but go back to square one," another player stated.

The verbal agreement between the shuttlers and the association was reached after shuttlers asked PBSI to allow them to sign individual sponsorship deals, apart from the collective deal with Japanese-based sports equipment producer Yonex, who pays $1.1 million per year for its deal.

But the request was rejected by PBSI officials, who cited the contract with Yonex that states any cosponsorships must be worth at least $300,000.

PBSI received $250,000 from Yonex for the three-month contract period from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, and is entitled to keep half of this money according to a mutual agreement with the shuttlers.

The remaining $125,000 was then distributed to all national shuttlers using a "ranking system", which looks at their achievements over that period.

Men's singles shuttlers who took part in the Olympics top the revenue list, with world number five Taufik Hidayat receiving Rp 73.9 million, followed by Hendrawan with Rp 62 million and Marlev Mainaky with Rp 50.1 million.

In the women's singles, Lidya Djaelawidjaja received Rp 11 million while Ellen Angelina and Yuli Marfuah got some Rp 6.8 million each. Their shares, apparently, were the smallest received by any of the veteran shuttlers.

"It is such a pity that they (women's singles shuttlers) received such a small amount of money," one shuttler commented.

Men's doubles shuttlers Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan, who won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, each received Rp 60.3 million. Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian received Rp 50.7 million each and Halim Heryanto and Sigit Budiarto Rp 31.4 million. Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky were each given Rp 18 million.

Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta, the top women's doubles pair, received some Rp 30.5 million each, followed by Deyana Lomban and Elysa Nathanael with Rp 23.4 million each. Carmelita, Indarti Issoliana and Vita Marissa were given Rp 9.3 million each.

Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur, Olympic silver medalists, got Rp 40 million each while Bambang Suprianto and Zelin Resiana received Rp 33 million each.

Nine other players who failed to crack the world top 15 each received Rp 4.2 million.

Despite allegedly breaking the verbal agreement on the distribution of the money, the shuttlers said PBSI did bump up shuttlers' rankings in order to increase their shares.

Players also questioned PBSI's decision to distribute some of the money to shuttlers who are no longer at the national badminton center.

Women's doubles player Elysa Nathanael, for example, left the center following the Sydney Olympic but still received a share of the money.

"How come Elysa, who is no longer at the center, still received money for a period of time after she had already left? It is just not fair," a player said.

It also appears that PBSI took advantage of the difference between the actual exchange rate for the rupiah and the one used to pay the shuttlers.

PBSI used an exchange rate of Rp 8,000 against the U.S. dollar when paying the shuttlers, while the current rate is above Rp 10,000 to the dollar. With a total of $125,000 being distributed to the shuttlers, PBSI would pocket at least Rp 250 million from the rate difference. (nvn/yan)